I built websites for myself. I didn't want to work for anyone else. I came from a science background, so I approached things fairly analytically.
From Michael Birch
I wanted to build something that was a system - that was mechanical and would propagate itself like a virus. I needed a way for it spread from person to person, and the best way to do that was trying to get someone to get their friends to sign up.
Birthday Alarm was a very simple site based on being reminded of your friends' birthdays.
If you are going truly viral, you don't need press. I mean, MySpace grew for a very long time without any press.
People can live without a Facebook account: my 13-year-old daughter has cancelled her account because it's not cool anymore.
Myspace was always a bit edgy. People identified it with edginess and music.
The problem with Myspace was always that it was never as strong a product as it needed to be. It left itself vulnerable to competition. It was only a matter of time before someone created something better.
When I was a kid, I really liked playing chess, which is pretty geeky; I just enjoyed it - thinking, exercising my mind. And I found computers to be like an eight-hour day chess game.
I have always been very tech-focused, which you may almost say is the traditional CEO in Silicon Valley.
I don't have any great ambition to go out and make money. But I am still fascinated in starting up businesses and starting it in a way and running in a way that I want to do it.
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